


just dudes being bros

by chillgamesh_the_swing



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Alcohol, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21857131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chillgamesh_the_swing/pseuds/chillgamesh_the_swing
Summary: just dudes looking out for each other's self destructive habits. constructing intricate rituals. yearning. just dudes being bros.
Relationships: Craig Boone/Male Courier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	just dudes being bros

They spent long nights in the room at Novac, Boone slumped on the couch with a beer in hand, Six on the end of the bed with head bent over guns and gear, tinkering with parts until they fit back into a whole machine, just like new. His handiwork was beautiful sometimes. They sat mostly in silence for hours on end, broken only by the murmurs of Mr. New Vegas on the radio and ED-E gently whirring around the room over their heads.

The guy never seemed to stop. He hardly felt fatigue until it was near physically crushing him, and then he was just as likely to suck down a couple of bottles of sarsaparilla and keep moving as to actually sleep. Maybe he was too used to the wasteland, never being anywhere secure enough for more than an hour of rest at a time, or maybe he was afraid. That if he stopped for more than a moment something he couldn't shoot down would catch up to him, something that couldn't be halted but only kept at bay, something he knew that one way or another would get him in the end. 

Boone shifted his weight on the couch, then slowly stood up and crossed the room to grab another beer from the fridge, which in addition to every flavor of booze in the desert was stuffed with cuts of bushmeat, wild fruits, and bottles of chems. He supposed it might not be particularly wise to keep the steaks in the same place as the thirty doses of silver sting, but Six was obsessively, clinically careful mixing those meds and venoms; he'd never let them leak into the food. Boone popped the beer cap off and pocketed it; Six glanced up at him at the noise and raised an eyebrow. "How many is that tonight?"

Boone frowned back. " 'M fine," he said flatly.

Six gave him another look, not quite unsmiling. "I didn't ask if you were fine," he said mildly. "Toss me one of those, would you?" He set the rifle he had been fiddling with down on the metal footlocker and stood up.

Boone picked up another beer and handed it to Six; he opened it and leaned against the sidebar. Boone stepped back to steady himself on the dresser.

Six took a long sip of the beer. "You know," he said, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your family."

"You know what happened to her," Boone said. "Not gonna explain it again."

"No, I mean like your parents," Six replied. "Got kin out there? Hometown? You never talk about them."

Boone snorted. "That's cause there's not much to tell. Grew up south of the Sands, off a brahmin ranch. Had a workin' mom, a sister but she grew up and left town when I was pretty young, I don't even know where she ended up. Rancher we worked for was a real piece of shit, kept all the hands on long hours, hardly a lunch break or nothing. My ma got kicked in the ribs once real bad and couldn't work for weeks, I dropped out of school and took on her job at the ranch. She ended up getting sick the next winter, didn't make it."

Six sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. "I'm sorry," he said. "Hate to bring up more bad memories." 

Boone shrugged. "They're not so bad," he said. "My ma was good people." He looked away. "After she died was when I ended up enlisting. Figured there was nothing much keeping me in the Sands, but I knew I couldn't hack it just walking into the desert. I was a pretty dumb kid," he said, mouth twisting into a crooked grin, and it turned into a chuckle when he saw the incredulous on Six's face. "No, man, believe it or not I ain't always been this stone-cold motherfucker, best shot in the Mojave," Boone said, taking another swig of his beer. "Had my share of rookie mistakes. Never finished-- algebra--" He gasped and doubled over in a coughing fit. "Ah-- _fuck_! Fuck," he choked out, still half laughing between coughs, and finally cleared his throat, stood back up, and held the bottle out. "Guess that probably means I've had enough of these," he said wryly.

"You still haven't told me how many it was," Six observed, taking the beer, downing the last of his own, and lifting the half-empty bottle to sip from it.

"Eh, I wasn't counting," Boone responded, rubbing his head. "Whatever's over there. I took the empties out this morning." He gestured to the floor next to the couch.

"Four or five then, plus who knows how much of the scotch." Six grimaced, and knocked back the rest of the drink. He dropped the bottle on the sidebar and straightened. "Definitely time to call it a night. Can I walk you downstairs so you don't trip and crack that hard head?"

"Mnh, 's fine. I can-- I can walk myself. Finish whatchu were working on," Boone said. He made to walk back across the room, but immediately stumbled and fell to his knees. Six dove to catch him. Boone's hat and shades hit the floor. ED-E jingled with alarm.

"Ah, fuck, you're like a sack of bricks, man," Six groaned, hauling Boone back to his feet and over to the foot of the bed. "Nah, I'm done with the rifle for now. Sick of looking at it, that spring is so crushed I've gotta find a replacement." He retrieved the beret and sunglasses and dropped them on the bedside table. "You can stay here tonight."

Boone sank back onto the mattress as Six went to hang his hat and coat by the door. "Got a lot of nerve, Six," he grumbled, "prob'ly just waiting for me to get all wasted so you can interrogate me some more."

Six looked hurt. "I didn't mean to-- take _advantage_ of--"

Boone cut him off. "Relax, man, 's a joke. I don't blame ya," he said, closing his eyes.

Six sat down on the couch. "I guess I been yelled at for less often enough," he sighed. "Probably stick my nose too many places it don't belong." He loosened his shirt collar and slumped sideways.

"Heh, you do at that," Boone replied. 

ED-E beeped gently and whirred over to settle on top of the cabinet, Six found the one and a half beers were sitting heavier than usual; he'd probably forgotten to eat. Six leaned over to the side table and dug out a pack of crackers, gnawing absently. He didn't really know why Boone's words had scared him like they had; for a second, he had been convinced that Boone would tear into him shouting, telling him to fuck off and mind his own damn business. Not like he'd been shy about doing so before, but this one had hit Six like a slap in the face. 

He hated making people mad at him, especially people who he had been getting along with. More so since Boone had seemed to finally be starting to relax around him. It was one thing to shoot down someone who had shot first, or snipe a marauding Legionary from behind cover, but the second he'd gotten into a real conversation with someone Six would much rather at least try to establish some mutual respect. Some would call his persistent conciliatory nature a weakness in the brutal wasteland, but it had gained him allies in many odd places. He could hardly pass through a town without people flocking to him, eagerly offering him a drink on the house, discounts on trade, or whatever spare gear or curio they had to offer, in exchange for help with some problem. 

Despite, or more likely, because of these many friends scattered throughout the Mojave, Six was wearing thin. His easy laugh was starting to ring hollow. The smile lines around his eyes had been darkening to bruise-colored bags, night after sleepless night. If anyone had noticed, it would have been Boone, as they sat around flickering campfires deep in the badlands, but he hadn't mentioned it, and was impossible to read besides. Even on nights he managed to get a few hours of sleep while Six sat watch, Boone would stretch out on his side, his back to the fire so Six couldn't see his face. 

He lay on his back now, eyes nearly shut and legs hanging off the end of the bed, still tightly laced in dusty combat boots. Six reached up to turn out the bare bulb suspended from the ceiling, kicked his own boots off, and laid back onto the arm of the couch. Might as well at least try to rest, since his buddy would be out of commission until late in the morning. They'd get a noon start at best, and he had hoped to make it across the mountain to Primm before dusk...

"Hey." Boone's voice cut through his tired musing. "Whatchu doing over there, 's plenty of room." 

"Oh," Six said, eyes blinking open. "You sure?"

"Don't be stupid about it," Boone said. " 'M not about to kick you out of your own bed cause my drunk ass can't make it to mine." He rolled onto his side, facing Six as he tucked an elbow under his head and shut his eyes.

"God damn, you are wasted," Six said, but he got up from the couch and laid down on top of the blankets next to Boone. He shifted around, trying to find a comfortable spot on the worn springs, and accidentally nudged against Boone's free hand with his elbow. To his surprise, Boone grabbed his arm, shockingly gentle compared to his usual steel grip, and curled around to grasp Six's hand. Six's eyes shot open in the dark, but he didn't dare move, afraid that if he did the moment would end. He lay still for a few minutes longer, then squeezed cautiously, experimentally, and Boone just sighed and kept holding onto his hand. It seemed he'd finally fallen asleep. Six pulled their hands carefully onto his stomach, folding his other hand around them.

Six was dizzy, from the beer and the contact and no small measure of general fatigue, but he tried to focus on slowing his breath, his thudding heartbeat. The weight next to him was comforting, and he slowly relaxed, closing his eyes. Six gave into his exhaustion and fell asleep, Boone's hand still clasped in his.

-

They didn't speak much the next morning. Six woke with a start, blinking in daylight filtering through the boards on the window. Boone had already gotten up, bustling around the cabinets and weapon locker, stuffing their packs with rations and ammo. He grunted in acknowledgement when Six sat up, rubbing his eyes; he hadn't slept that long in days.   
Boone tossed him a jar of clean water. "Get moving. We'll have to run hot if you still want to make it to Primm tonight." ED-E chimed in agreement.

"Yeah. Yeah," Six said, twisting open the water and taking a gulp. He stood and brushed off his rumpled shirt, buttoning it back up to the neck and adjusting his belt. So much for cleaning up before they hit the road. It was fine, the Nashes would have a room for them. He hurriedly suited up in boots, duster, and wide brimmed hat.

Boone handed Six a pack and a rifle and hoisted his own onto his shoulder, and they were out the door, ED-E whirring along behind them. They nodded at the merchants in the courtyard and gave a quick wave to Andy, sitting up in the dino's mouth, as they made their way down the south road. He had taken over Boone's night shift as soon as he was able to make it up the stairs, but when Boone was in Novac with Six he often put in a few hours to give Andy and Manny a little more rest. Andy would have gone on about midnight last night, same time Boone came back to the room and started sucking down booze, so they were probably due to switch over again soon.

The sun was high, but not quite overhead. Six cursed himself under his breath for getting such a late start, but then he doubted Boone had been up all that much earlier. He glanced at Boone, and noticed hadn't even shaved; a thin shadow of stubble crusted his chin. Had he slept late too, or woken up quietly and chosen to keep still so as not to disturb Six? If so, was it out of simple consideration, to let him get a little more sleep, or had he had some other motive?

Six hardly dared to hope.

**Author's Note:**

> there's a perfectly heterosexual explanation for this


End file.
